The civilization of humankind is a process that has taken thousands of years to reach its current state. Initially, humans led a nomadic lifestyle as hunters and gatherers before evolving into the civilized societies we have today. Civilization did not occur in just one part of the world; rather, it took place in various locations. Two such civilizations were Egypt and Mesopotamia, which were unique from each other but shared some similarities despite their differences (Oliphant M 33).
These two civilizations, along with the civilizations of India and China, appeared 5,000 years ago. One characteristic that defined all of them was that they existed along the banks of large rivers. In the Mesopotamian civilization, the major rivers within which it existed were the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The Egyptian civilization, on the other hand, took place along River Nile; they were actually called a river civilization for this fact. However, besides this particular similarity their difference came about by how each responded to the rivers. (Oliphant M 36)
The name Mesopotamia was derived from the fact that it developed between two rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates. The name means between rivers”. Economic development in this region was realized through irrigation canals due to its arid areas. Mesopotamia played a significant role in trade between Asia Minor, Syria, and the Mediterranean area (Algaze G 45). Egypt’s territory, on the other hand, was situated along the Nile River. The Egyptian territory was divided into two kingdoms: Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt.
Two different groups of people inhabited the area of Mesopotamia. The Assyrians occupied the north, known as Assyria, while the southern part was inhabited by the Akkadians and Sumerians. Power used to alternate between these two groups (Algaze G 45).
The Egyptian and Mesopotamian societies engaged in extensive trading, although there was a difference in tone. Mesopotamia’s comparatively difficult environment made it very challenging to manage, which called for certain technological advancements compared to the Egyptian society. The Mesopotamian trade was more extensive and depended mostly on commercial law and the merchant class.
In both civilizations, the political power was strong, with an all-powerful king who controlled everything. The king served as the commander in chief of the army and held responsibility for passing laws and religious functions. To manage his kingdom, the king had a retinue of civil servants.
The Pharaoh was the king of Egypt and had all the power, including possession of all land. His major roles included passing laws, supervising trade, and leading the army in war. In Egyptian society, the Pharaoh was regarded as a god and was never touched or looked in the eye. The people believed in his magical powers.
The Egyptian kingdom was a dynasty where the first-born son became heir to the throne when the king died. In Mesopotamia, on the other hand, the king and his family made up the aristocracy and owned much of the land as well as held high positions in the Army (Algaze G 45).
The societies in both instances were stratified, with the king and nobility occupying the highest strata. This particular group was the most privileged and possessed most of the land. Next were the priests. In Mesopotamia, priests were highly honored and lived in temples where they performed all religious rites (Postgate, J.N 7).
They were also wealthy and owned large tracts of land because they cooperated with the kingdom. In Egypt, they possessed thousands of servants and slaves. In Mesopotamia, besides land, they also had craft workshops. Scribes were a privileged group of civil servants in Mesopotamia who undertook tasks such as managing, cub bearing or acting as couriers.
In Egypt, there was a Prime Minister or Vizier whose responsibility was to aid the Pharaoh in governing the country. The scribes were the only people in Egypt who could read and their main responsibilities included writing official documents, tax records, and keeping accounts of the royal palace (Baines J & Jaromir M 18).
In Mesopotamia, the remaining population was further divided into two groups: those with rights and slaves who had no rights at all. Among the free people were peasants who rented land from nobles and the king, paying taxes or giving a portion of their harvest as payment. Craftsmen were also considered free people, and they were divided into various professions such as goldsmiths, perfumers, carpenters, or weavers. These craftsmen worked in workshops to produce their goods. (Postgate, J.N 7)
Men owned women, and as a result, women did not work. If they did work, they were paid only half of what men earned. Other professions in ancient Egypt included craftsmen, merchants, soldiers, and sailors (Baines J & Jaromir M 17).
In Egypt, the rest of the population consisted of peasants who lived along the riverbank in small brick houses and were very poor. These peasants worked on lands owned by the king, noblemen, and priests. In exchange for their labor, they received a portion of the harvest but also had to pay taxes. They contributed significantly to the construction of pyramids, especially during times when the Nile flooded (Baines J & Jaromir M 14).
The lowest class of people in both civilizations were slaves, who were owned by the king and treated as objects.
The Mesopotamian culture lacked concern for the preparation of the afterlife, which was adored by the Egyptians. Therefore, pharaohs were preserved in tombs located within pyramids. The Egyptians were polytheistic, with the sun being their main god. (Baines J & Jaromir M 14)
Both civilizations made significant contributions to modern civilization, particularly in astronomy, art, writing, geometry, and agriculture.
Works Cited.
Algaze, Guillermo. (2004). The Uruk World System: The Dynamics of Expansion of Early Mesopotamian Civilization. Second Edition. Pages 45-67.
Baines, John, and Jaromir Malek’s Atlas of Ancient Egypt is a comprehensive guide to the history and culture of ancient Egypt. Published in 1980 by Andromeda Oxford in Abingdon, England, the book covers a wide range of topics related to ancient Egyptian civilization. The information contained within its pages is invaluable for anyone interested in learning more about this fascinating period of human history. (Pages 12-23)
Oliphant, Margaret. The Atlas of the Ancient World: Charting the Great Civilizations of the Past. London: Ebury, 1992, pp. 33-54.
Postgate, J.N. (1992). Early Mesopotamia: Society and Economy at the Dawn of History. London: Routledge, pp. 6-18.
